The city of Milwaukee currently allows 320 taxi permits, meaning there is one cab for every 1,800 residents in the city.

Compare that to Washington D.C., which has one cab for every 90 residents.

Some cab drivers, including Hardeep Singh, are paying $400 to $500 a week as rent to drive for local companies.

It stems from a freeze put on the number of cab permits back in 1992, locked at 320, with no additional permits available. They're rented out to drivers for a weekly fee.

Driver Merhef Gerog estimates he's paid $500,000 in driver's rent over the last two decades to operate a cab.

"I want to relax a little bit. I am suffering to pay $1,000 a week to rent a cab. This (is) too hard," Gerog said.

New legislation will allow 100 additional taxi permits to become available in Milwaukee. Applications for those permits can be filed starting Monday.

Cab owners fear there's not enough business, and no one will make money. Drivers counter, saying the business is there, and they don't want to work as tenants.

"Let's try to phase in an expansion to the number of permits and see how that goes," Milwaukee Alderman Bob Bauman said.

All driver permit applications must be filed by Feb. 28, and the 100 permits will be filled through a lottery system.

"There's only 100 permits. There will be 10,000 applications because they'll open for everybody with driver's license. It's not especially for the taxicab drivers," Singh said.

Bauman said he thinks by adding more cabs, it will shorten wait times and improve the quality of service. He said by the time vehicle inspections and background checks are conducted, people can expect to see more cabs on the road by April or May.

BY THE GOVERNOR. NEW AT SIX-- THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE IS OFFERING 100 NEW TAXI CAB PERMITS BEGINNING TODAY. WISN 12 NEWS BEN HUTCHISON TELLS US HOW THE CITY'S DECISION TO ADD MORE PERMITS COULD GIVE DRIVERS THE CHANCE TO WORK FOR THEMSELVES... THE RENT IS 4 TO 5- HUNDRED DOLLARS A WEEK THAT'S WHAT SOME CAB DRIVERS LIKE HARDEEP SINGH ARE PAYING AS RENT TO DRIVE FOR LOCAL COMPANIES...IT STEMS FROM A FREEZE PUT ON THE NUMBER OF CAB PERMITS BACK IN 1992...LOCKED AT 320 ...WITH NO ADDITIONAL PERMITS AVAILABLE, THEY'RE RENTED OUT TO DRIVERS FOR A WEEKLY FEE... 12 HOURS AT LEAST TO WORK 6 DAYS MERHEF GEROG ESTIMATES HE'S PAID A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN DRIVER'S RENT OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES TO OPERATE A CAB... I WANT TO RELAX A LITTLE BIT, I AM SUFFERING TO PAY 1,000 A WEEK TO RENT A CAB, THIS TOO HARD IN NOVEMBER, THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE AND ALDERMAN ROBERT BAUMAN AUTHORED AN ORDINANCE TO ADD 100 PERMITS. CAB OWNERS FEAR THERE'S NOT ENOUGH BUSINESS AND NO ONE WILL MAKE MONEY... DRIVERS COUNTER... SAYING THE BUSINESS IS THERE AND THEY DON'T WANT TO WORK AS TENANTS... LET'S TRY TO PHASE IN AN EXPANSION TO THE NUMBER OF PERMITS AND SEE HOW THAT GOES NATS OF LETTERS IN GLASS BOX MONDAY, WAS THE FIRST DAY TO APPLY FOR ONE OF THOSE PERMITS... SINGH IS HOPING HE GETS SELECTED BUT KNOWS THIS PROCESS WILL BE COMPETITIVE, TOO... THERE'S ONLY 100 PERMITS, THERE WILL BE 10000 APPLICATIONS, BECAUSE THEY'LL OPEN FOR EVERYBODY WITH DRIVERS LICENSE. ITS NOT ESPECIALLY FOR THE TAXI CAB DRIVERS. AND ALDERMAN BAUMAN THINKS BY ADDING MORE CABS, IT WILL SHORTEN WAIT TIMES AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF SERVICE ... IN MILWAUKEE, BEN HUTCHISON, WISN 12 NEWS... THE CITY REPORTS IT RECEIVED 79 APPLICATIONS FOR PERMITS TODAY.